Wiki Leaks: Manas, China, Russia — and Prince Andrew

The U.S. ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Tatiana Gfoeller, is in the international spotlight for her detailed description of a 2008 meeting in Bishkek with a surprisingly candid Prince Andrew and British business representatives in a communique that's among the thousands of secret diplomatic cables disclosed online this week by the Website Wiki Leaks. It's a fascinatingly amusing inside glimpse of the intertwined world of politics and business.

But equally interesting, though drawing substantially less attention, is a 2009 cable describing a Feb. 13 meeting in which Gfoeller astutely notes that China Ambassador Zhang Yannian ridiculed by never "categorically" denied assertions that the People's Republic would give Kyrgyzstan a $3 billion aid package to shut down the U.S. tanker base at Manas. A digital copy of the confidential cable can be found at the link above, but here's an interesting passage:

After opening pleasantries, the
Ambassador mentioned that Kyrgyz officials had told her that
China had offered a $3 billion financial package to close
Manas Air Base and asked for the Ambassador's reaction to
such an allegation. Visibly flustered, Zhang temporarily
lost the ability to speak Russian and began spluttering in
Chinese to the silent aide diligently taking notes right
behind him. Once he had recovered the power of Russian
speech, he inveighed against such a calumny, claiming that
such an idea was impossible, China was a staunch opponent of
terrorism, and China's attitude toward Kyrgyzstan's decision
to close Manas was one of "respect and understanding."

At the time of the meeting, the U.S. military base had been served with an eviction notice, which was later withdrawn after the Pentagon agreed to nearly quadruple the annual rental rate to $60 million, accompanied with other U.S. aid. Diplomats also had heard that Russia, which also has a military base in Kyrgyzstan, had offered the Kyrgyz a $2 billion financial aid package as well in exchange for expulsion of the U.S. air base.

Zhang, according to the cable, went on to suggest that the eviction notice was little more than a ploy by the Kyrgyz to squeeze more money out of the United States, leading to a somewhat candid exchange:

"This is all about money," he
said. He understood from the Kyrgyz that they needed $150
million. The Ambassador explained that the U.S. does provide
$150 million in assistance to Kyrgyzstan each year, including
numerous assistance programs. Zhang suggested that the U.S.
should scrap its assistance programs. "Just give them $150
million in cash" per year, and "you will have the Base
forever." Very uncharacteristically, the silent young aide
then jumped in: "Or maybe you should give them $5 billion and
buy both us and the Russians out." The aide then withered
under the Ambassador's horrified stare.